A Service Academy Information Night will be held on Monday, May 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Wall Township Municipal Building, 2700 Allaire Road, Wall, N.J., announced Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today.

     The event is for high school students (and their parents, counselors or educators) residing in the Fourth Congressional District who are interested in learning about competing for a nomination to one of the United States Service Academies. Each institution plays an integral role in training young men and women to become tomorrow's military leaders, and affords them a collegiate educational opportunity of the highest quality free of financial obligation, provided the student graduates and fulfills his or her service obligation. The academies are: 

•           The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York

•           The U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland

•           The U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado

•           The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York

•           The U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut.

     “Throughout my tenure in Congress, I've had the honor and privilege of nominating many outstanding young men and women for acceptance into our nation's military academies,” said Rep. Smith.  “With the United States' continued fight against terrorism throughout the globe and its commitment to defending our homeland and protecting national security interests, recruiting top-notch talent for our all-volunteer armed forces is critically important.”

    Members of Congress, U.S. Senators, the Vice President and the President may nominate constituents for acceptance to the academies. Residents of New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, between ages 17 and 22 (17-25 for the Merchant Marine Academy), who are a U.S. citizen and are single with no dependents, can seek a nomination to one or more of the service academies through Congressman Smith’s office. Interested candidates can start the application process as early as the spring of their junior year in high school. Unlike the other four, the Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination.

    The Fourth Congressional District encompasses 44 municipalities and includes parts of Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties. Municipalities in the Fourth District include:

• in Mercer County,  Hamilton and Robbinsville;

• the Ocean County, the municipalities of Bay Head, Jackson, Lakewood, Lakehurst, Manchester, Point Pleasant Beach, portions of Point Pleasant Borough and Plumsted, and;

• in Monmouth County, the towns of Allentown, Avon-By-The-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Colts Neck, Eatontown, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Holmdel, Howell, Lake Como, Little Silver, Manalapan, Manasquan, portions of Middletown, Millstone, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Roosevelt, Rumson, Sea Girt, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Tinton Falls, Upper Freehold and Wall.

   The seminar is free and open to the public, and it will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. For more information contact Mrs. Jo Schloeder or Mr. Scott Maraldo at (732) 780-3035.